Safety gas-light.



J. L. CASLER.

SAFETY GAS LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, 1913'.

1,125,471. Patented Jan.19,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

NJ. 1 44 n ui' THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTCVLITHOH WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. L. GASLER.

SAFETY GAS LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED 001:. 20, 1913.

1,125,471. Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

3 SHBETSSHEET 2. a9 7 J. L. CASLER.

SAFETY GAS LIGHT. APPLICATION FILED 001". 20, 1913.

1,125,471 Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

(Ema/whom THE NORRIS PETERS CO" PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

JOHN L. CASLER, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

SAFETY GAS-LIGHT.

Application filed October 20, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN L. OAsLnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Gas- Lights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic cut-offs for gas burners, the primary object being the provision of a cut-off valve which may be manually opened to permit flow of the gas to the burner when the latter is to be lighted and which will automatically close, if for any reason, the light is extinguished.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a'novel form of thermostatically controlled trip for holding the valve in open position as long as the burner remains lighted, this trip being so arranged that an extremely slight contraction of the thermo-expansible member will serve to immediately release the trip and permit the valve to close.

A still further object of this invention is to construct the trip in such a manner that it will automatically engage the valve operating mechanism upon opening of the valve.

A still further object of this invention is the construction of a cut-off valve so arranged that the extent to which the valve may open can be readily controlled. In this connection, the valve operating mechanism and the trip employed in holding the valve in open position are so arranged as to always insure as complete an opening of the valve as its adjustment permits and a hold i11 of the valve in completely opened position.

' With these and other objects in view, this invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings. and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of theform shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form of valve controlling trip, showing the parts unassembled; Fig. 4: is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but illustrating a slightly modified form of trip construction; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the trip em- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Serial No. 796,328.

ployed in the construction shown in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a View similar to those of Figs. 2 and 4, illustrating a still further modified form of trip construction and a slightly different form of thermo-expansible trip controlling member; F 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the internal construction of the cut-off valve and the manner in which it is operated.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings. by the same reference characters.

The preferred embodiment of this invention, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, consists primarilyof a cut-off valve 10, valve operating mechanism 11, valve trip 12 and a thermo-expansive trip controlling member 13. For the sake of clearness, the device is illustrated in connection with a conventional form of gas burner of the drop type. This burner includes a wall bracket let and a U-shaped fixture l5 operatively connected to the bracket 14: and provided at its free depending end with a burner 16. Immediately above the burner, the fixture 15 carries a combined shield and globe support 17 which in turn carries the usual globe 18. The fixture 15 consists of two members 19 and 20 swivelly connected by an overlapping telescopic joint. This connection is not illustrated as the structure is conventional and in common use and froms no part of this present invention.

The valve 10 is interposed between the fixture member 19 and the burner bracket 1-1 and its structure is best illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. This valve includes a casing adapted for threaded connection with the burner bracket and closed at its upper end save for a small, centrally located outlet port 21. The valve casing is hollow and is divided into an upper chamber 22 and lower chamber 23 by a transverse partition wall 24: which forms a guide for the valve stem 25 of the conical valve 26 which controls the passage of gas through the pas- 21. The valve stem 25 is channeled longitudinally as shown at 27 to permit passage of the gas from the lower to the upper chamber. At its lower end the valve stem is provided with a peripheral flange or shoulder 28 and adjacent this shoulder is reduced to form a co-acting shoulder 2 The valve casing is provided with a tappedbore to receive a sleeve 30 partially closed at one end and provided at said end with a seat 31. A shaft 32 is journaled in this sleeve, terminating in a head 33 engaging in the seat of the sleeve and having an eccentrically formed pin 3-1 engaging between the spaced shoulders 23 and 29 of the valve stem and bearing by its inner end against the stem to limit the inward movement of the shaft. Packing rings 30' are positioned in the sleeve about the shaft 32 and are held in place by a helical spring 31 which surrounds the shaft bearing between the packing rings and a lever arm 35 which is secured by one end upon the outer end of the shaft and which has its free end perforated, as shown at 36. An ad justing screw 37 having a knurled head 38 and an unthreaded conical point 39 is threaded through the valve casing to form a stop for limiting the downward movement of the valve 26 through rotation of the shaft 32 and its eccentric strap. By threading this adjusting screw to position its conical end in the path of movement of the shoulder 23, the amount of opening of the valve may be delicately adjusted.

The lower fixture member 19 is provided as usual, in burners of this type, with draft openings 40, these openings being located immediately above the valve 10. Slidably mounted on the fixture 15 immediately above the draft openings, is a sleeve 41 which forms the body portion of the valve operating mechanism, previously designated by the numeral 11. This sleeve is flared at its lower end to provide an inverted cup-shaped draft shield 42 preventing the entrance of down drafts through the draft openings 40. At its upper end the slee e is provided with a laterally directed annular flange 43, the function of which will be later explained.

The lower fixture member 19 is provided below the draft openings with an encircling shoulder 44 and is surrounded by a helical spring bearing by its ends against the shoulder 44 and lower end of the sleeve 41, this spring normally holding the valve controlling mechanism 11 in elevated position. A. red 46 is swingingly connected by one end to the cup-shaped shield 42 and its opposite end passed through the perforation 36 of tiie lever arm 35, being headed as shown at 4"? to prevent disengagement from the lever arm. A helical spring 48 surrounds this rod bearing by its ends against the shield 42 and lover 111-11135 and consequentl tending to hold the free end of the lever arm against the head 47 of the connecting rod 46. The valve operating lever is so set upcn the shaft 32 that downward swinging of its free end will open the valve. It will therefore be clear that downward movement of the valve operating device 11 will act through the rod 46 to open the valve. To facilitate manual actuation of the device 11, the shield 42 is provided with a downwardly depending cord or chain 49. By pulling downwardly upon this chain the valve 10 will be opened permitting flow of gas to the burner 16. It will be clear however, that unless the valve operating device 11 is locked in lowered position, it will at once move to raised position upon release of the chain and so close the valve.

This invention, as previously set forth, contemplates the provision of a trip for automatically engaging the valve operating device 11 to lock the same in lowered position, the release of this trip being controlled by the thermo-expansible member 13. In the effective carrying out of the above provision, a bracket 50 is adjustably mounted upon the upper burner bracket member 20, above the valve controlling device 11, being secured in its adjusted position by a set screw 51. This bracket includes a collar portion surrounding the fixture bracket and a laterally directed body portion 52 extending toward the burner and having an areaate terminal 53 extending about the peripheral edge of the burner shield .17. This bracket forms the support for both the trip 12 and the thermo-expansible trip controlling member 13.

The body portion 52 of the bracket 50 is slotted intermediate its length as shown at 5-1 and the trip member is pivotally mounted in this slot as shown at 55 in Fig. 2. This trip consists of two parts, namely a body portion 56, which is the part through which the pivot pin 55 passes, and afinger member 57 slidably mounted, upon the body member. The body member 56 is slightly angular in shape terminating at its lower or free end in a laterally directed stop lug 58. The reentrant face of this body member is somewhat more angular than the outer face and is provided intermediate its length with a stop notch 59. The linger member 57 forming the second part of the trip includes a body portion 60 provided at its upper and lower ends with laterally directed 1 slotted as shown at 62 to receive the body this swinging serving to lockingly engage the upper end of the finger member in the notch 59 of the body member and so lock the finger member against upward move ment with respect to the body member, even under the influence of direct upward pressure. When the valve operating device is drawn to lowered position to open the Valve, the free end of the trip finger 63 automatically swings inward to bear upon the flange 43 of the trip device and lock the same against return upward movement upon re lease of the chain 49. Upon even the slightest swinging of the lower end of the body member of the trip toward the lamp bracket 15, the finger member, being under strain from the spring 45, will at once be disengaged from the notch and will therefore slide upwardly upon the body member of the trip, releasing the valve controlling device 11, causing the valve to close.

The thermo-expansible trip controlling member, indicated as a whole by the numeral 13, extends above the burner 16, as best shown in Fig. 1, the shield 17 being skeletonized or cut-away at 64 to expose said member to the heat from the burner flame. The form of thermo-expansible member illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, includes two thermo-expansible rods 65 and 66 which may be formed of metal or any other well known and suitable material. The former of these rods is swingingly secured by one end to the upper end of the body member 56 of the trip 12 immediately above the pivot 55 thereof. The other end of said rod isswingingly secured to one end of a link 67 which is pivotally mounted in termediate its length as shown at 68 upon the free terminal of the bracket extension 58. ()ne end of the second rod 66 is swingingly connected to the opposite end of the link 67 and the other end of the rod is threaded as shown at (39 and passed through the perforations of a pair of spaced ears T0 carried by or formed upon the bracket 50. A knurled adjusting nut '71 is threaded upon the rod 66 between the ears 70 and provides a ready means for adjusting the angle at which the trip member shall normally depend.

It will of course be apparent that the expansion or contraction of these rods will serve to swing the trip toward or away from the burner bracket 15 as the case may be. t willfurther be apparent that by the employment of two expansible rods mounted and ,peratively connected as described, the throw of the trip member will be doubled.

In operation, when. the burner is to be lighted, the gas is turned on in the usual manner by a valve, not shown. This permits the passage of gas as far as the valve 10. The valve 10 is then opened by pulling downwardly upon the chain 49 to permit the passage or gas to the burner which is then lighted. As soon as the sleeve 41 has moved downwardly a suflieient distance to bring its fiange 43 below the trip, the trip finger will automatically swing into locking posi tion as shown in Fig. 1. The trip lever should be so set 1 that when the thermoexpansible member is pulled, the trip finger will just engage the flange 43. Under these conditions, expansion of the control member 13 will be permitted as the trip linger may readily move inward upon the flange 43. After the control member 13 has once been heated, it will be clear that any cooling or the same due to the extinguishing of the light, will cause contraction of the member 13 and consequent release of the trip member and closing of the cut-oil valve In Fig. 4 a burner construction is shown which is identical with that shown in Fig. 1 with the exception that the trip member 12 is replaced by a trip member, indicated as a whole by the numeral 72. This trip member, as best shown in Fig. 5, includes a body portion 73 which is mounted upon the pivot pin 55 and to which the expansible rod 65 is connected. This body portion is provided at its lower or free end with a laterally directed semi-circular extension 74 and a screw 75 having a milled head is threaded inwardly through the free end portion of this extension. This trip member is preferably made of resilient metal and its extension, which is also resilent, partially encircles the burner bracket as shown in Fig. 4 in such a manner that when the valve operating device is drawn to lowered position the screw 75 may be threaded inwardly to engage over the flange 43. With this form of the invention, it is necessary when first lighting the burner that the screw be turned in to engage the flange 43. In order to subsequently render the cut-oli' automatic, it is therefore necessary that after the thermo-expansible control member has expanded the screw be threaded outwardly until it just engages the flange so that upon contraction of the control member it may be swung to free the member 11.

The form of invention illustrated in Fig. 6 is the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1 with the exception that a slightly different form of trip is employed and a simpler form of expansible member. In this form the body portion 52 of the bracket 50 is provided with spaced upstanding ears 76 located on either side of the slot and the trip member 77 is pivoted by its upper end between the upper end of the ears as shown at 78. The trip member, in this instance, includes a straight body terminating at its lower or free end in a head 79 which is threaded the screw 80 which engages the flange 42. The expansible trip controlling member 81 employed in connection with this form of cut-ofi' includes a. body member of expansible material, U-

shaped in section and disposed with its bight portion uppermost. One end of this member is secured to the free terminal of the bracket as shown at 82 and the other end is bifurcated to straddle that portion through &

of the trip member between the ears 76, being pivotally secured to the trip member as shown at 83. The operation of the cut-oil shown in Fig. 6 is identical with that of the cut-oit shown in Fig. l and any description of the same is therefore unnecessary.

The sliding .rod and spring connection between the valve lever 35 and valve operating device 11 is of great importance as otherwise it would either be impossible to operate the valve wholly by means of the chain t9 and at the same time insure the valves being as widely opened as permitted by the adjusting screw 37 when the valve operating device was locked by the trip, or the adjustment of the valve through. the screw 37 would be useless. This connection is so arranged that even when the valve is set to open to the widest extent ever permitted by the adjusting screw, it will be so opened by down-ward movement of the valve operating device 11 before the latter has been su'tliciently lowered to be engaged by the trip, the remaining movement oi the operating device 11 being permitted by sliding of the rod through the lever arm 35.

Although several forms of the invention have been illustrated, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the forms shown as various changes in construction, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time .vithout departing from the spirit of the iniention. This is particularly true in regard to the construction and positioning of the various supporting brackets as it will be clear that these brackets must be changed in order to adapt the device for use with burners of difi'erent styles.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An automatic cuto'l'l' for burners including a valve casing, a valve slidable in the casing. a shaft extending into the casing and operatively engaging the valve, a lever arm carried by the shaft, means operable to swing the lever arm to open and close the valve, said 11 eans normally holding the valve in closed position, a trip movable upon opening of the valve to automatically and instantaneously engage the valve operating means and lock the valve in open position, and thermostatic means for releasing the trip.

2. An automatic cut-oil for burners including a valve, a revoluble shaft for operating the valve, a reciprocating sleeve, operative connection between the sleeve and shaft, means normally holding the sleeve in one position, means operable upon movement of the sleeve to its other position for automatically locking the sleeve against movement, and means for releasing said locking means to immediately and completely close the valve.

3. An automatic cut-off for burners, in cluding a valve, a swinging lever arm for operating the valve, a sliding sleeve, a spring acting between the sleeve and valve, a rod connected to the sleeve and slidable through the lever arm, means for preventing disengagement of the rod from the lever arm, a spring surrounding the rod and acting be tween the lever arm and sleeve, an automatic trip for locking the sleeve in lowered position, and thermostatic means for releasing the trip.

l. i-ln automatic cut-off for burners ineluding a valve, sliding sleeve controlling the opening and closing of the valve, a thermo-expansive member, a trip operatively connected to the thermo-expansive member and movable independent of the thermo-expansive member into position to lock the sleeve in lowered position, said trip however being releasable by contraction of the thermo-expansive member.

An automatic cut-oft" for burners in cluding a valve, a sliding sleeve controlling the opening and closing of the valve, a thermo-expansive member, a trip operatively connected to the thermo-expansive member and movable into position to lock the sleeve in lowered position, said trip including a body member connected to the thermo-evpansive member and provided with a notch, and a finger member slidable upon the body member and adapted to engage the sleeve and lockinglv seat in the notch when in engagement with the sleeve.

6. An automatic cut-oil for burners in eluding a valve, means for regulating the amount of opening of the valve, means for operating the valve, said means normally holding the valve in closed position, a trip movable to automatically engage the valve operating means when the latter is moved to open the valve and so hold the valve open, and thermostatic means for releasing the trip to permit closing of the valve.

7. An automatic cut-off for burners including a valve, a manually movable sleeve for opening the valve, means for normally holding the sleeve to keep the valve closed, a thermostaticmember, and a tripoperatively connected to the thermostatic member and movable to hold the sleeve to keep the valve open, said trip being releasable by the thermostatic member, said trip including a body member provided with a notch, and a finger member slidably mounted upon the body member and adapted for locking en gagement in the notch.

S. An automatic cut-oil for burners including a valve controlling the flow of gas to the burner, a trip movable to hold the valve in open position, and thermostatic means for releasing the trip, said means including a support, the trip being pivoted in the support, a lever pivoted upon the support, a thermo-expansive member connecting one end of the lever with the trip, and a second thermo-expansive member connected to the opposite end of the lever at one end and at its other end to the support.

9. An automatic cut-off for burners including a valve controlling the flow of gas to the burner, a trip movable to hold the Valve in open position, and thermostatic means for releasing the trip, said means including a support, the trip being pivoted in the support, a lever pivoted upon the support, a thermo-expansive member connect- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents ing one end of the lever With the trip, a second thermo-expansive member connected to the opposite end of the lever at one end and at its other end to the support, and means for adjusting the connection of said latter member with the support to vary the position of the trip.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence or" two Witnesses.

JOHN L. GASLER. [1,. s.] WVitnesses R. 15. MCCRARY, OLIVER L. CUNNINGHAM.

each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

